Entries tagged with: NY ComedyFestival

There were no special guests listed when Bob Odenkirk's Sunday NYCF appearance (11/9) at Gramercy Theatre was first announced. It has since been confirmed that the Breaking Bad actor will be reunited on stage with his Mr Show co-creator David Cross, as well as Michael Ian Black (The State/Stella/etc) and Brandon Wardell at the event where "Bob Odenkirk will be reading from his new book A Load of Hooey, screening videos, and giving a talk about some highlights of his comedy career." Tickets, which include a copy of his book, are still available. Also on Sunday, Bob will be signing books at McNally Jackson Books in SoHo (95 Prince St., 1 PM).

Brandon Wardell is on Odenkirk's whole tour. The two also have an album coming out together titled Amateur Hour via AST Records. (That's the cover art above.) Says Wardell, "I thought I was just opening for his album recording and then found out after the show I'm actually on it and he just didn't want me to be nervous." The album's out November 25.

IFC's Comedy Bang! Bang! is currently in the middle of its new season and there have already been a few notable music guests on the show. The National made an appearance on the fall season premiere as part of a fake makeover show "Retool the School" and Flaming Lips frontman Wayne Coyne appeared on the Halloween episode (dressed as Carrie), and then made some impromptu music with bandleader Reggie Watts as a web exclusive. Watch clips from all three of those below.

Reggie Watts has a couple NYC shows coming up. On Friday (11/7), he'll be at The Bell House as part of a NY Comedy Fest show that also features Jim Gaffigan, James Adomian, Cameron Esposito, and Eliot Glazer. It's a benefit called Uncivil Union and proceeds go to The Ally Coalition and New Alternatives which look to "raise awareness and funds to end discrimination against LGBTQ people." Tickets are on sale.

Later Friday night Reggie will also perform at The Blue Note for a 12:30 AM set. Reservations are available.

As mentioned, the NY Comedy Festival happens November 5 - 9 at venues all over NYC. While the big shows -- Marc Maron, Tig Notaro, Bill Cosby, Nick Offerman, Amy Schumer and others -- have been announced for some time, they just announced the smaller/cooler/more interesting offerings on the slate. We just wrote about Bob Odenkirk who's playing Gramercy Theatre on November 9, and here are a few more highlights as chosen by BV laffmaster Klaus Kinski. He offers up some parenthetical comments too. Read on:

-Popular internet-obsessed comedy game show @Midnight (hosted by Chris Hardwick) will be taping in NYC the week of NYCF, at ABC 24 New York on November 3, 4 and two tapings on 11/5. Tickets are free and mostly claimed but you can get on the waitlist.

-Seth Herzog's longrunning "Sweet" will do a NYCF-specific show at The Slipper Room on 11/4 ("Always. Seth is the man.") No advance tickets yet.

-"Comedy Underground" Live with Dave Attell at Village Underground on November 4. ("I love Attell and hope he sees a resurgence. Also, big a-listers will drop by for sure.") Two performances, 8 PM and 10:30 PM (Tickets)

- Aparna Nancherla & Friends at The Creek and the Cave on November 7. ("New on my radar, she is one of the funniest people ever.") Tickets are on sale now.

- The Talk Show Series Presents The Kevin Corrigan Show at Union Hall on November 7. Moving from its usual (free) Williamsburg, The Kevin Corrigan show will be at Union Hall this time with a bunch of cool guests TBA. Tickets are on sale.

- "Clown Panties and Other Unpleasant Truths: An Evening With Inside Amy Schumer" on November 8 at The Paley Center for Media. ("Amy Schumer also has a big stand up show, but I think an event about her show is more interesting than her stand up. Though her stand up is great.") Tickets go on sale Friday (10/3) at noon and are on presale now to Paley members.

-'Up To Snuff: Mark Normand & Friends' at The Stand on November 8. (Guy is GREAT. Made a year end list of mine. He needs to be famous.) Tickets are on sale now.

- Emily Heller at UCB East on November 8. ("So f'ing funny. Another comedian who made a year end list of mine.") Tickets are on sale now.

Best known by your dad as shady lawyer Saul Goodman on Breaking Bad, comedy fans know Bob Odenkirk as one-half of Mr Show, a writer on SNL, and all-around secret weapon character actor. Bob's about to release his first book, titled A Load of Hooey, which is out next week (10/7) via McSweeny's. From the back of the jacket:

This book, his first, is a spleen-bruisingly funny omnibus that ranges from absurdist monologues ("Martin Luther King, Jr's Worst Speech Ever") to intentionally bad theater ("Hitler Dinner Party: A Play"); from avant-garde fiction ("Obituary for the Creator of Madlibs") to free-verse poetry that's funnier and more powerful than the work of Calvin Trillin, Jewel, and Robert Louis Stevenson combined.

Bob will be going on the road to promote A Load of Hooey, including a show in NYC on November 9 at Gramercy Theatre. Tickets are on sale now and come with a copy of the book. That's part of the NY Comedy Festival. Earlier that day, Bob will be signing books at McNally Jackson Books in SoHo (95 Prince St., 1 PM).

As you may know, Breaking Bad spinoff Better Call Saul is set to premiere in February 2015. AMC will debut a Better Call Saul music video this Sunday (10/5) at 7:15 PM. The song was cowritten by series creators Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould with Breaking Bad composer Dave Porter and is performed by country singer Junior Brown. So set those alarms/DVRs. UPDATE: Here is the music video!

If you're a fan of comedy and lived through 2012, you probably have heard (or at least heard about) comedian Tig Notaro's fantastic set dealing with her cancer diagnosis, Live. The recorded set was released through Louis C.K.'s five dollar sales model, selling over 50,000 downloads, and was eventually nominated for a Grammy. But any fan of alt comedy will remember her hilarious bit on Taylor Dayne (video below), her multiple appearances on This American Life, or her podcast, Professor Blastoff.

This week, Tig begins a headlining comedy tour she's calling "Boyish Girl Interrupted," with stops all over this great nation, including one date in NYC. Catch her at Town Hall November 6 as part of the NY Comedy Festival. Tickets are on sale now.

The eighth annual Stand Up for Heroes benefit happens at The Theater at Madison Square Garden on November 5. Bruce Springsteen returns to play again this year, and comedic talent includes Louis CK, John Mulaney, and John Oliver, plus NBC's Brian Williams and more "surprise guests" to be announced. It's part of the New York Comedy Festival and tickets are on sale now.

When I first mentioned the 2013 New York Comedy Festival back in August, I wasn't able to hide my blasé feelings about the initial line-up. If you recall, I described the initial line-up as being "bogged down with conservative, mainstream talent." Towards the end of the post, however, I tried to end on a more optimistic note by stating that in festivals past they were sure to include more indie-centric fare and that there was no reason to think the 2013 installment of the fest would be any different. Sure enough, the fest has announced some shows that are definitely more up my/our alley. Highlights for me (click on the show title for tickets) include:

Matt Braunger at the UCB Theater Chelsea on Wednesday November 6 at 9:30 PM (tickets): Simply put, Matt Braunger is absolutely fucking hilarious and his special Shovel Fighter is one of the great comedy experiences of all time. He is easily one of the most underrated comedians out there and this show is sure to be a treat.

Julian McCullough at the UCB Theater Chelseaon Thursday November 7 at 9:30 PM (tickets) : Julian McCullough is an absolute powerhouse of hilarity who I've seen about 100 times and who is one of the most solid and consistently funny comedians in the biz. Julian has performed on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, NPR's This American Life, and starred in his own half hour special on Comedy Central. You can also catch him every Saturday as host of TBS' Very Funny News and on MTV2's hit series Guy Code. He gigs around town a lot and any opportunity to see him is a must.

Behind the Scenes at The Colbert Report at Town Hall on Thursday November 7 at 8:00 PM (tickets): Yes, I know, Colbert is far from indie. But he's really just a talking head propped up by an extremely talented pool of writers. For the most part, these writers are a major part of the indie NYC comedy scene in one way or another. This will be a great opportunity to bring these behind-the-scenes people into the spotlight alongside His Highness Mr. Colbert. Because, without them, Colbert is nothing more than that guy who was hilarious in Strangers With Candy.

Nikki & Sara & Friends at The Gramercy Theater on Friday November 8 at 8:00 PM (tickets): You might know Nikki Glaser and Sara Schaefer from their MTV show Nikki and Sara LIVE. I know Nikki and Sara from years of seeing them live all over NYC for the past several years. Individually or as a team, they rule. I cannot recommend this show enough. Plus, Gramercy sells those massive cans of Budweiser.

An Evening with David Cross at The Paley Center on Friday November 8 at 6:30 PM (tickets): New York City Resident David Cross recently wrapped up a small tour with Mr. Show Alumni Bob Odenkirk and Brian Posehn which landed at Town Hall for two shows on September 12. This time around, he's flyin' solo for what the Paley Center describes as "The Paley Center and the New York Comedy Festival welcome Cross to discuss his career, his creative process and thoughts on comedy, and life as a never-nude." Though billed as "An Evening With David Cross" that description makes it sound like a moderated interview. Who knows. It's worth checking out regardless.

Rhys Darby

Rhys Darby at The Gotham Comedy Club on Friday November 8 at 8:00 PM/ 10:30 PM and Saturday November 9 at 8:00 PM/10:00 PM/11:45 PM (tickets): You might know Rhys as the lovable manager Murray Hewitt on HBO's Flight of the Conchords. But Rhys is also an hilarious comedian with a penchant for sound effects. He rarely blesses our shores with a performance, so I urge to you try and catch one of his five performances at the Gotham Comedy Club.

Oh, Hello : The Kroll Show at The Paley Center on Saturday November 9 at 4:00 PM (tickets): I've been an avid fan of Nick Kroll for many many years. His repertoire of characters is astounding and usually a spot-on lampooning of some of the most insufferable sects of popular culture. The Paley Center event will include "executive producers and writers Kroll, John Levenstein, and Jonathan Krisel (who also directs the episodes) to discuss the production of the technically dazzling parodies, the process of breathing life into such tragic souls as Ref Jeff, and the perils of ice dating." Attendees will also see two episodes from Season 2 of the Kroll Show. Nick is a great dude and a super-talent and his success is much deserved and makes your man Klaus happy.

The Meltdown with Jonah and Kumail at The Bell House on Saturday November 9 at 7:00 PM (tickets): Jonah Ray and Kumail Nanjiani are two of my favorite people on earth. Kumail even did one of our Rock n ROFL shows back in the day. It broke my little black heart when Kumail moved to Los Angeles, but I can't say that I blame him as his career has thrived since the relocation. The Meltdown is a recurring comedy showcase out in Los Angeles that brings in some of the biggest names in comedy. It's so great, in fact, that it was picked up by Comedy Central and will soon be a TV show executive produced by some dude named Ben Stiller or something. It is a blessing from the Gods of Comedy that they will bring their show to NYC for one night only. Even though the line-up has not been announced, I urge one and all to get tickets now before it's too late and you get a one way ticket to Regretsville USA.

The seventh annual Stand Up for Heroes event will happen at Madison Square Garden
on November 6. This year's performers include Jerry Seinfeld, Bruce Springsteen, Jon Stewart, Roger Waters and "other surprise guests." This is a big jump up in size for the charity event (last year at Beacon Theatre) which benefits injured service members, veterans and their families, and is part of the 2013 New York Comedy Festival. Tickets are on sale now.

The New York Comedy Festival is coming back from November 6 through November 10, 2013 for what will be their milestone 10 year anniversary. And although none of the shows are knocking my socks off as much as the Ben Stiller Show reunion they had last year did, this year's line-up is so far pretty impressive (albeit somewhat bogged down with conservative, mainstream talent). The shows will be taking place at venues all over our wonderful city including, but not limited to, Town Hall, The Beacon Theater, The Theater at Madison Square Garden, and Carnegie Hall. Highlights for your man Klaus include John Mulaney onSaturday November 9 at 7:00 PM at Town Hall, as well as Anthony Jeselnik at the same venue the same evening at 9:45 PM. Also a hot ticket will be Larry David in conversation with David Steinberg on Sunday November 10 at Town Hall.

The ticket presale for all shows will run from August 7 at 10:00 AM to August 11 at 10:00 PM. The general onsale for normal people starts Monday, August 12 at 10:00 AM. Tickets can be purchased through the New York Comedy Festival website and Ticketmaster.

Last year, after announcing their initial line-up, the fest scheduled a ton of indie-centric shows at places like the UCB Theater. It is that particular programming that is sure to please people like you and me a lot more than their industry-favorite big ticket shows. Keep your eyes peeled. Meanwhile, announced schedule is below...

The NY Comedy Festivalis underway, and includes a show by Slayer and voting fan Rob Delaneyat NYU on Saturday (11/10). It now also includes a 2nd Rob Delaney show on the same day in the same venue but later. 100% of proceeds go to Sandy Relief. On Sale now.

Before this show was added, Rob also posted this letter about the early show:

On Saturday I'm doing a show at NYU's Skirball Center. It's sold out, but if you are attending, may I ask you to please bring your checkbook and be prepared to write a check to The American Red Cross in Greater New York? I will be donating 100% of the money I'm making from the show, so if you bring a check too it will be like we're in a cozy little club together. Just give me or one of my volunteers your check after the show and then I'll bring it to the Red Cross in my leather helicopter.

If you aren't going to the show, but would like to donate, you can do so online here: